The present invention relates to an arrangement for holding ropes and the like. More particularly, it relates to an arrangement for holding ropes and the like, in which a hook member is supported rotatably about an axis and held in its holding position by a releasable locking element. Such an arrangement can be especially utilized in towing gear of towing ships. However, similar arrangements can also be utilized as mooring arrangements especially for big ships.
Arrangements of the above-mentioned general type are known in the art. For example, a holding arrangement is known in which a rope hook is supported tiltable about a horizontal axis in an anchored hook support or pedestal. The rope hook is held in the holding position for the rope by an arbitrary releasable locking member. This arrangement is disclosed in the German Pat. Nos. 1,063,054 and 1,119,174. Towing gear for towing ships is equipped with a circular disk-shaped hook member for holding a rope which is radially guided against the hook member. In order to receive the rope, the hook member is provided with a recess forming a hook throat and with an oppositely located notch which serves as an abutment for the locking member. When the locking member is released, such a hook member can rotate with a high number of revolutions. The disk forming the hook member is substantially solid so that the holding arrangement has a great weight. The holding position of the hook member after each release must be again set by rotation of the hook member manually so as to further arrest the locking member. This is disclosed in the German Pat. Nos. 1,083,147 and 1,142,518.